The Pregnancy Chronicles 2
by KB-RC23
Summary: Fifth in Braden Series. Kate is pregnant with their second child. This is her journey through the pregnancy. Rated K. *Updated 02/12/2014* Fourth chapter is now up!
1. Second Time Around

**Hey!**

**I am back with a new story! This is going to be like my story _The Pregnancy Chronicles_ but the only difference being that this is about their second child! :) I am posting this exactly one year after the original! ****Please let me know what you think by leaving a review!**

**(Entire story takes place between April 2020 and December 2020)**

**Disclaimer: _Castle_ is not mine :/**

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**[Second Time Around]**

_April 26th, 2020 (4 weeks)_

The sound of giggling and cackling woke Kate up and her eyes hazily opened as she took in her surroundings. Taking a deep breath, she remained sprawled out on the bed, with her legs and arms spread out like a star.

She had no desire to get out of bed whatsoever, wanting to sleep the day away. She knew she couldn't though. Today was Sunday, and that meant their weekly visit to the park.

Kate slowly sat up, stretching her arms above her head as she loosened up the tightened muscles. As soon as she dropped her arms a wave of nausea quickly came over her and she bolted for the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before she made a mess of things.

She stayed bent over the toilet for a few more minutes before she stood and brushed her teeth, trying to get rid of that bitter after taste she had in her mouth. Squeezing out a healthy amount of toothpaste, she began to brush her teeth but the mint flavor had her back at the toilet.

This has been happening for the past few days, and as she emptied out what contents she had left in her stomach Kate had an inkling as to why. But deciding not to let her mind go down that path, at least not yet, she slowly got up, first making sure she looked somewhat presentable, before she joined her husband and son.

When Kate walked out, she found the two in the kitchen making a mess. It looked like they were trying to make pancakes. She stood out of sight from them and merely watched. It was sweet to see Rick helping Braden mix the batter before pouring it out on the griddle.

She leaned against the door and tried to stifle her laugh when Rick flicked some of the batter on his son's face, only to get a helping of batter on his own face in return. Kate decided now was the time to make her presence known, before things got out of hand.

"What's going on in here?"

Braden's eyes found his mother, and he grinned. "Hi, Mom! We are making you pancakes."

Coming up to her son, she brought him in for a hug and smacked his cheek with a kiss. "I can see that. Very sweet of you two."

"Hey," Rick pouted, "Where's my kiss?"

Merely rolling her eyes, Kate extracted herself from her son's arms only to wrap her own around her husband's waist. "Right here." She brought him in for a soft kiss, but not on the lips. She kissed him on the cheek instead.

And before Rick could say anything about the lack of lip contact, Kate began to have the feeling of nausea wash over her, but as soon as it had appeared it had passed. She tried to mask it by distracting herself with the bowl of fruit on the countertop, but it didn't work.

Concerned, he placed his hand on the small of her back. "Hey, you okay?"

Glancing over at their son, she saw he was preoccupied with cleaning himself up and focused her attention back to Rick. "You and I need to talk later," she whispered.

He nodded his head, unsure of what was going on but agreeing regardless. "Okay."

Rick would wait until later, knowing she needed time to gather herself and her thoughts. He had no idea what she wanted to talk about and if he was being honest with himself, it frightened him a bit. But he couldn't let that show.

He could only hope it wasn't anything too serious.

* * *

When the trio arrived at the park, Rick and Kate stayed a few paces behind their son and kept an eye on him as he skipped ahead. Not saying a word the entire walk there, Kate kept her mouth shut and the agony of not knowing practically killed Rick. He couldn't wait any longer.

He gave her hand a squeeze, trying to be encouraging. She turned her focus up to him and saw him smiling softly.

It's okay. She could do this.

She _could._

Taking a slow breath, she shut her eyes briefly before holding his gaze. "I'm just going to come right out and say it— I think I'm pregnant."

Out of all the possibilities he had running in his head as to what she wanted to speak about, being pregnant was not one of them.

"You— you what? Really? How?" Kate gave him a look that said more than her words ever could. "No, I know _how_. I just thought...we've been careful."

With a shrug of her shoulders, she sighed. "I had thought so, too. And I don't know for sure if I actually am pregnant, but the same symptoms I had with Braden are there, and in full force."

There was a small silence between them, and Kate figured that was because he was trying to process everything. She saw the gears turning in his head as they walked through the park. As they approached their usual spot, the couple took a seat on the bench across from the playground, while Braden ran over the swings, immediately becoming entertained.

Eyes drifting back and forth from his son to his wife, Rick held Kate's hands in his as they rested on his lap. He spoke after what felt like an eternity. "On the way home, we can stop by the store and pick up a pregnancy test. That way we know for sure, and we're not just jumping to conclusions."

Kate bit her lip. "And if I am pregnant?"

Unsure of what it was, but he sensed a bit of hesitation in her voice. "Do you not want to be?"

She answered instantly. "No! It's not that I don't want to be. It's just..."

"You don't think it's the right time," he supplied.

"Yes. With your book coming out next month and all the parties and signings, and then with my workload, it's not exactly ideal to have a baby right now. Does that make a bad person?"

They'd talked about it but hadn't planned on having another one for another year or two, so the timing was a bit off.

Scooting closer, Rick wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "No, it doesn't. And it never usually is ideal, but we have to know and understand that it might be a possibility we're having another baby and simply go from there. But, Kate. The thing is, you may not even be pregnant."

Nodding, she pulled him in for a hug. "I know. I know," she mumbled into his shoulder. "I just wish I knew for sure so then I would stop worrying over it."

"We'll let the pregnancy test do all the talking, all right? For now, how about you and I go join our son on the swings? Take your mind off of things for a little bit?" He had a twinkle in his eyes at the mention of his son and swings, the idea very appealing.

Giving him a nudge, she smiled. "You go on ahead. I'll be right there."

"Okay," he said, not waiting for a reply as he was already making his way toward his son.

Kate watched from afar as the father and son duo began to have a competition as to who could go the highest, and she thought back to when Braden was a baby and how Rick would push him in the baby swing, the movements causing Braden to giggle and clap.

She wished she could relive those memories that flooded her brain, and that was when she started to think that maybe it wasn't such a bad time to have another baby.

They could do this again. She knew it.

With her hand on her stomach, Kate shut her eyes and wished with all of her heart that she was in fact pregnant again, before walking over to the swings and hopping on one between her husband and son.

* * *

"Brae, Mom and I will be in our room if you need us, okay?" Rick asked, his hand on his son's bedroom doorknob. "Just holler if you need anything."

"I will." And just like that he was back to playing with his action figures, creating scenes and adventures for the toys to partake in. Rick smiled as he shut the door and made his way downstairs to his and Kate's room, finding her in the bathroom pacing.

She looked nervous yet hopeful. He couldn't help but feel the same way.

Walking over to her, he brought her in for a hug and held her close. "How much longer until we know?"

"One more minute."

Kate was trembling in his arms, her eyes shut closed as she held onto him with all her might. He was keeping her body steady as her brain was traveling a million miles an hour. Rick whispered sweet nothings in her ear, his hand drawing patterns on her back, as he soothed her nerves.

Thirty seconds passed.

"Longest minute ever," Rick sighed.

And finally, when the timer went off, both held their breaths. The time had come.

Rick pulled her out at an arm's length, his eyes taking in her expression. "Do you want me to do it, or would you rather do it?"

Kate hugged herself, her bottom lip between her teeth as she shook her head. "Could you? I'm too nervous."

Holding his hand out, she took it and watched as he grabbed the pregnancy test off the bathroom counter. She couldn't take his silence, and with his back to her, she couldn't read his face. He didn't say anything for a few moments, and Kate became anxious.

"Well? What does it say?"

Slowly turning to face her, he switched from looking at the test to Kate. It was pure agony, and she just needed to know.

"Rick?"

His blank expression turned into one of pure joy, his smile reaching his eyes. "We're having another baby."

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**There you go!**

**Reviews are love. Not sure how quickly updates will be since I now have two multi-chapter stories in the works, but will do my best to update as fast as possible! Until then!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23, Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23, and Follow me on DeviantArt at kbrc23.**


	2. Big Brother Part I

**Thanks for your love!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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**[Big Brother Part I]**

_June 19th, 2020 (Almost 13 weeks)_

It had been two months since Kate and Rick discovered they were expecting another baby. Rick had take Kate to the doctor, where she got an ultrasound and some blood work done just to make sure, and sure enough, she was pregnant. They'd asked the doctor about the best way to share this news with a child, and she had given them a few suggestions. One of them being that they wait until the first trimester was over, so that's what they did.

And so, during the past few months they were in the process of trying to figure out how to share this news with their five-year-old son.

He'd most likely respond similarly as other children would in this situation, asking lots of difficult and innocent questions that the parents had trouble answering. Braden was a smart kid, and he was too smart for his own good so Rick and Kate could only hope his questions wouldn't be too hard to answer.

One thing was for sure; they knew they had to be honest with each question Braden asks. No elaborate, made up stories that may confuse him even more than he already may be. Kate told her husband this several times, wanting their son to know the truth even if he didn't quite understand it. The truth, and being honest with their son, was the most important thing.

Problem was how to go about telling him.

Each night they would mull over various ways to do this, but as soon as they gathered the courage to tell him they flaked out and dropped the subject. They would need to tell him sooner rather than later, because in a month or two Kate will begin to show and their curious son may be asking the reasons as to why his mom's stomach will be getting bigger.

Rick and Kate watched from the kitchen as Braden became absorbed in a TV show, the sounds muffling their voices while they talked. Every so often, they'd glance at the boy in reassurance, just to make sure he couldn't hear them.

"We need to tell him. The sooner the better," Kate whispered, her back against the marble counter top as her eyes followed her husband to the fridge. "Or else he's going to be asking more questions when I begin to show."

Practically downing the water in a single swig, Rick wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand, his eyes on Kate as she crossed her arms over her chest and began nibbling her bottom lip. She looked nervous and uneasy, which was a rarity because she faced murderers on a daily basis yet she was scared to tell their five-year-old son he was going to be a big brother.

"Okay, I've got an idea." He then began to tell her his plan, her uneasiness washing away with each word he spoke. When he was finished, they both turned to face Braden, who was oblivious to this news he was about to have revealed to him, and studied him for a few moments.

It was now or never.

Rick grasped Kate's hand in his own, guiding her toward the living room. "Hey, Brae? Why don't you turn that off for a little bit? Mom and I would like to talk to you about something."

It took a few seconds before it clicked in his head, so he grabbed the remote and shut the television off and waited for his parents to join him on the couch. Rick sat on Braden's right, and Kate at his left. He was completely squished between them.

They could this.

With a deep breath, Rick met Kate's eyes before he ruffled Braden's hair with his hand and smiled. "What are your thoughts on having a little brother or sister?"

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**There you go!**

**I am a tease, aren't I? Hope you enjoyed it! I apologize for it's shortness, but I will hopefully have the next chapter up within the week. Thanks for reading. Until then!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23, Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23, and Follow me on DeviantArt at kbrc23.**


	3. Big Brother Part II

**Hi all.**

**Thanks for all of your love and patience. I've had some family issues going on the past four weeks, so I apologize for the lack of updates. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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**[Big Brother Part II]**

_June 19th, 2020 (Almost 13 weeks)_

Braden gazed up at his parents dumbfounded, trying to understand what it was they were saying— what they were asking. A little brother or sister? That would mean he'd be a big brother.

"A little brother or sister?" He echoed, processing all this in his brain. Rick and Kate nodded their heads, waiting for him to answer with baited breaths.

Now, Braden has heard about little brothers and sisters from a few buddies in school over the last year, specifically from Johnny who has a younger brother. He says that his brother is loud and whines, but Johnny has told Braden that when he is quiet, it can be a lot more fun and that it's not as bad as it seems.

But Johnny told him about the darker side of things... Dirty diapers, nights with no sleep, and lots of spit and drool, which is all completely gross.

Staring up at his parents, he titled his head slightly to the side and scrunched his nose in disgust. "Dirty diapers..." he mumbled to himself, disturbed by the mere thought of diapers.

"What was that, buddy?" Rick questioned, not hearing what his five-year-old said.

Allowing himself to take in a deep breath, he shifted his focus from his mom to his dad and then back again. "Don't babies have dirty diapers? They're gross..."

This little observation made his parents chuckle. "Yes, they are gross. But babies can't go to the bathroom by themselves like you," Kate told him, giving him a squeeze on his upper shoulder, the action making Braden grin with pride. "So that's why they have diapers, they help keep everything from getting all over the place. And yes, it is gross, but it's a part of being a baby."

With his eyes glued to the floor, Braden suddenly asked, "Am I gonna have a little brother or sister?"

Rick and Kate looked at one another before they addressed their son. "Yes, you are, buddy." Rick smiled softly, his words even softer as emotions got the best of him.

Kate wrapped an arm around his shoulders and pulled him in close to her chest. "You okay with that, Brae?"

And once again, they found themselves on the edges of their seats as they saw the wheels turning in Braden's head, his thoughts and emotions coming together as he began to think about the prospect of having a little brother or sister. The longer he thought about it, the more appealing it became.

"Yes," he answered some five minutes later, a smile blooming on his face. "I'm gonna be a big brother!"

Rick reached out, behind his son's head, and gave Kate a high-five as a double sigh of relief could be heard from both parents, relieved the five-year-old had taken this so much better than they had prospected he would. This was huge, his acceptance. And he didn't ask a single—

"Is it a boy or girl?"

Letting her husband respond, Kate fiddled with the tufts of hair that cascaded down Braden's forehead, sweeping them to the side.

"You see, we— uh, we aren't sure yet," Rick said. "Mommy and I are going to wait until the baby arrives, so it's going to be a surprise for all of us."

"Cool..." the boy breathed, his smile never fading from his lips.

"Do you have any questions about any of this? You know you can ask either me or Daddy about anything that you aren't sure of or want to know about."

In a motion that was eerily like his mom, Braden bit his bottom lip and shut his eyes in thought. Exchanging looks, Rick smirked at his wife when he realized it was the same look she gets sometimes and Kate just smiled back, noticing it too. A minute passed before his eyes opened wide and words began spilling from his mouth, question after question reaching Rick and Kate's ears.

"When is the baby gonna get here?"

"Is it in Mommy's tummy?"

"Does it feel funny? Does it hurt?"

"How do you get pregnant?"

Oh boy, this is what Rick and Kate had been expecting. Here we go.

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**There you go!**

**Reviews are love. Hope you guys like this chapter. And if you have any ideas, suggestions, or scenarios you'd like to see play out in this story that weren't in the original, or ones you'd just like to see, please let me know. All ideas, suggestions, and scenarios are welcome. Next chapter will be posted within the next two weeks. Until then!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23, Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23, and Follow me on DeviantArt at kbrc23.**


	4. Spreading the News

**Hi.**

**Thanks for all of your love. Y'all are the best. This chapter is a bit longer, so I hope you like it! Reviews are love.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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**[Spreading the News]**

_June 28th, 2020 (15 weeks)_

He couldn't contain his excitement; it was threatening to burst out of his body at any moment. It fizzled low in his gut, the emotions and overwhelming knowledge that he would see them.

They were almost there. So close, yet so far.

Practically bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, the large smile that took place on his lips never left and remained there. A large hand on his shoulder stopped his movements, and he glanced up to find his dad smiling down at him.

"Brae, I know you're excited. But you're making the entire elevator shake."

A mischievous grin curled his lips upwards; he gave a final bounce and shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, Dad. Just excited to see Mom, Uncle Javi, and Uncle Kevin."

"I know you are, but we've got to see them in one piece, so no more bouncing. Okay?"

The boy nodded, completely dejected. "Okay."

Rick gave Braden a squeeze on the shoulder before ruffling his hair. "And remember what we can't tell Uncle Javi and Uncle Kevin?"

With the same dramatic flare as his grandmother, Braden peered up at his dad as a large sigh escaped his lips. "Don't say anything about my little brother or sister...even though I really, _really _want to. Why do we have to keep it a secret?"

"Because we don't want anyone knowing quite yet," Rick informed his son. "So it has to be kept between us for the time being. Your mom and I are trying to figure out how to tell everyone, and that includes Uncle Javi and Uncle Kevin."

Crinkling his nose, Braden tilted his head to the side. "But 'Lexis, Gram, and Grandpa Jim know."

"They're family, buddy. That's why we told them at lunch last weekend. Remember?"

Trying to put the pieces together, Braden refused to let it go. It just didn't make sense. "Uncle Javi and Uncle Kevin are family," the boy retorted. "So is Aunt Lanie."

Rick was taken aback, trying to come up with a good explanation as to why they haven't told anyone else about the pregnancy. The boys and Lanie were family, they may not be related by blood but they were a family nonetheless. Families consist of being surrounded by people who care for you, who will be there for you no matter what, and who will lift you up.

Saved by the ding of the elevator, Rick knew he needed to speak with Kate about this. They were family and they deserved to know.

As soon as the double doors opened Braden was making a mad dash out for his mother's desk. "Mom!"

Completely occupied with her work, Kate became startled by the sound of her son calling out for her. She whipped around in her chair and smiled when she saw her two boys heading her way.

"Isn't this a lovely surprise," she gushed, enveloping her son in a huge hug as he tried climbing into her lap but failed. "Can't sit on my lap, buddy. Too big. You can sit in that chair though." Kate chuckled when he scampered over to his dad's usual chair with relish, his feet kicking in excitement.

Rick came up behind Kate, hands on her shoulders, as he leaned down and peppered a single kiss to her cheek. "Hi."

"Hi back. I thought you guys were at the museum?" She pondered, still in shock that they were here.

"Oh, we were," her husband began, leaning against the edge of the wood desk and ultimately blocking his son from view. "But wild man over here got bored and wanted to come see you, and who am I to deny him the opportunity to see his beautiful mother?" At that, Rick pulled her in for a sweet kiss, which only caused groans and moans of disgust to be heard behind Rick.

Braden scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out. "Gross..."

Both parents were blushing, too caught up in their kiss to notice their surroundings, and that included their son. Rick gave Kate one more kiss before he unceremoniously picked his kid up by his armpits and took over the chair.

"You're in my spot, kid."

Before Braden could say a word to convince his dad to give him the chair back, two detectives were making their way toward the family, the boy's attention directed toward them and off his stolen chair.

"Uncle Javi! Uncle Kevin!" He ran full sprint toward the two men, not minding others walking past him and almost running straight into them.

And just like that the boy was whisked away by Ryan and Esposito, leaving Kate and Rick alone for a few moments. Rick glanced over his shoulder as he watched his son share with the detectives about his day at the museum, smiling while he recounted about the dinosaurs, which were his favorite part. Silly boy.

"So," Rick began, scooting closer and lowering his voice so as to not be overheard. "We've gotta talk about something."

Kate looked up, saw how serious he was, and nodded her head. "Okay. Wanna talk over some coffee?"

Once the couple was in the break room, door shut and blinds halfway closed, they were able to talk freely. Kate sat on the couch while her husband prepared her a decaf, many different thoughts buzzing around in her head. She had no idea what he wanted to talk about, but it had to be something important.

A few minutes passed in complete silence, neither speaking but rather waiting until both were ready. Handing her the mug, Rick joined Kate on the couch. He had a pensive look on his face, as if he'd been brewing over things while he prepared her coffee.

To get the ball rolling, Kate set her mug down and clasped her hands with his, gaining his attention. "What's going, Rick?" Her voice was soft and gentle, easing his nerves.

With a deep breath, he told her. "I know you and I have been trying to figure out how to tell everyone about the baby, and I know we want to just keep it between family. But Braden brought up a good point in the elevator."

"What point would that be?"

"I'm getting there," he chuckled, smiling at his wife's impatience. "He asked me why we have to keep it a secret, and that it didn't make sense to hide it from the boys and Lanie because my mother, your father, and Alexis all know. I told him it was because they're family, and he said that Javi, Kevin, and Lanie _are _family."

Kate had a moment of realization as she listened. Braden was right.

"So, I was thinking... Why don't we just tell everyone? You're going to start showing any time now, and people are going to start asking questions. It will probably be best if we just get this out in the open now rather than later."

Shutting her eyes, she leaned forward and pressed her face into his shoulder and took a slow breath. "Thank you."

Eyebrows raised, he pulled Kate at an arm's length. "What?"

"I have held my tongue from saying this, but I've wanted to tell them every since I found out I was pregnant. And Braden's right, those guys are our family and they deserve to know."

Rick stood, yanking Kate with him, as he bee lined for the door. "Great. Let's go tell them now."

Halting in her tracks, she had wide eyes. "Wait, now? Like right this minute?"

"Yes, now. Why not? You said it yourself, they deserve to know," Rick said, pulling her in for a hug. "It's now or never, Kate."

A bit hesitant, she eventually relented and let him drag her out into the bullpen. That's when they noticed Lanie was over at the boy's desks, Braden perched in her lap. When did she get here? Esposito must've called her.

Talk about perfect timing.

Kate watched as her husband gathered everyone's attention, all eyes on them. "Hey, everyone. Um, Kate and I have some big news to share with you all and it's rather exciting..." Hands entwined together, he glanced over at Kate, who was glowing, and then back to the officers and detectives. "We're having another baby."

Almost immediately the entire bullpen was thundering with applause, cheers, and words of congratulations. They were swarmed with hugs and kisses; many people wondering when the baby will be due and if they know if it will be a boy or girl.

Sharing this joyous news with everyone was a weight off of their shoulders, and they couldn't have been more relieved.

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**There you go!**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Next chapter will be posted within the next two weeks. Until then!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23, Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23, and Follow me on DeviantArt at kbrc23.**


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